Published in the Oct. 15-28, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life

By John Horner

John Horner

John Horner

Are you a local business and/or nonprofit leader interested in furthering the broad mission of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce? Do you know someone else who is? In either case, please consider completing the board of directors nomination to start the process of consideration for the 2015 board of directors.

The job of the individual board member is to generally participate as part of the board team to accomplish the mission of the organization.
The Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce puts on a variety of events and is involved in all aspects of the community, from education to economic development. The events include the Celebrate Morgan Hill award dinner honoring local residents for their outstanding contributions to the community, the Friday Night Music Series, and the Taste of Morgan Hill. The chamber also puts on monthly mixers, breakfast meetings and weekly lunches.

In addition to the events, the chamber puts on the annual Rock the Mock, where teens learn the important aspects of interviewing and creating a resume, and the annual citywide Science Fair.

Finally, the chamber puts on seminars for business owners and nonprofit organizations.

While participating as part of the board team, members must:

● Believe in and actively support the mission of the organization
● Attend and participate in the annual Board Planning Session
● Comply with applicable laws, regulations, bylaws, policies and the code of ethics
● Accept the legal duties of loyalty and care while serving as a board member
● Understand that all power rests with the full board, not individual members
● Share wisdom and insights to help the board make appropriate decisions and policy
● Be responsible for attracting and retaining chamber members
● Prepare well for all meetings
● Bring knowledge of the community and constituents to the board’s deliberations
● Be an advocate to the community and constituents for programs and board decisions
● Play a consultative role by sharing expertise with management when requested
● Seek opportunities to expand knowledge about the organizations
● Regularly self-evaluate personal performance on the board and determine needs for improvement
● Attend the annual Installation of Officers ceremony at “Celebrate Morgan Hill” in February
● Attend at least nine regular chamber programs (breakfast, mixer, lunch, etc.) during the course of the year
● Prepare for and attend board and relevant committee meetings (committees are: Ambassadors, Economic Development, Education, Environmental Affairs, Programs, Government Relations and Membership)

●Attend monthly board meetings (up to three excused absences is acceptable)

●Dedicate about 10 (Minimum) hours per month to Chamber of Commerce activities, more with the more active committees and dedicated board members.

The deadline for return of the form is Oct. 31, 2014. Visit www.morganhill,org to apply.

John Horner is the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.